Mason sand calculator
Work out how much mason sand you need in tons and cubic yards.
Mason sand calculator
Use your supplier's density
You need
- Volume
- Weight
- Area
| Order by | Exact | Order, rounded up for anything sold in whole bags |
|---|
Enter your measurements to see what to order.
One cubic yard of mason sand weighs about 1.4 US tons and covers about 162 square feet at 2 in.
How to work out how much mason sand you need
- Measure the area in feet and multiply length by width.
- Pick a depth in inches and multiply it by the area to get a volume.
- Multiply the volume by the bulk density, 1661 kg per cubic metre for mason sand, to get a weight.
- Divide the weight by your supplier's ton or cubic yard to get what to order, and round up. Suppliers do not sell part bags.
- Add 10 percent. Covers settlement, uneven ground and the material lost around the edges. A second delivery for half a yard costs more than the extra you did not use.
How many tons in a cubic yard of mason sand?
About 1.4 US tons, at 1661 kg per cubic metre. Because published densities run from 1542 to 1780, the honest answer is a range: between 1.3 and 1.5 tons per cubic yard depending on grading and how wet the load is.
How many cubic yards in a ton of mason sand?
About 0.71 cubic yards. One tonne is about 0.6 cubic metres.
How much does mason sand weigh?
Between 1542 and 1780 kg per cubic metre, a spread of 15 percent. Finer than concrete sand and quoted heavier. The calculator above uses 1661, and you can replace it with your own supplier's figure.
4 published figures from 4 suppliers, read 2026-09-20.
| Supplier | Published figure | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Miller Inc., Naperville, ILinternational | 2,600 pounds per cubic yard | Unstated |
| Stratford Landscape Supply, Winston-Salem, NCinternational | approximately 2800 pounds per cubic yard | Unstated |
| JK Enterprise Landscape Supply (lumberjake.com)international | Approximately 1.5 tons per cubic yard (= 3,000 lb/yd3) | Washed (explicitly stated) |
| Cummin Landscape Supply, Atlanta, GAinternational | +/- 2400 lbs per cubic yard (1.2 tons) | Unstated. |
What you can order mason sand in
| Pack | Where | Size |
|---|---|---|
| cubic yard | US, CA | 0.765 m3 |
| US ton | US, CA | 907 kg |
| 0.5 cu ft bag | US, CA | 0.014 m3 |
Mason sand and building sand
In the UK trade the same material is sold as building sand, ordered in tonnes and bulk bags, so the building sand calculator works in those units and at those depths.